Center for 21st Century Skills participated in the first ever Digital Learning Day on February 1, 2012. Several members of our team joined the 15,000 educators from 39 states around the country to inspire students and promote innovation and creativity in education through the use of technology in the classroom.  

Matthew Worwood, Sarah Schauss, and Kerry Macfarland visited EDUCATION CONNECTION's Head Start program to work with Pre-K students. These students filmed their pre-rehearsed play of the fairytale Three Billy Goats Gruff using iPod touches.  

Students prepared masks for each of the Billy Goats and the Troll, and used other props to create a space in which to perform their play. They then took turns acting in the play, recorded sound effects (the students used rhythm sticks to mimic the sound of clopping hooves), and filmed their production using the iPods.

Frank LaBanca visited second and fourth graders at Sandy Hook School in Newtown for Digital Learning Day. Using iPod touches loaded with the StoryKit app, Frank, fourth grade teacher Ted Varga, and the fourth grade students created riddles that modeled the literary device personification. Students selected an inanimate object in the room to personify.  

Some examples of their work include:

• Pen, Pencil Sharpener, and Plants 
• Hand Sanitizer, Clock 

Frank also visited second grade teacher Robin Walker's class. Using the same app, students recorded observations of growth patterns of the Wisconsin Fast Plants they are growing as part of a science unit.

Justine LaSala visited 1st and 3rd graders at Middlebrook Elementary School. First grade students in Miss Berry's class used iPod touches loaded with the StoryKit app to create digital storybooks about the different species of penguins. Mrs. Lopez's third grade students wrote, illustrated, and recorded their own adventure stories using the same app.

Here are some examples of student work from Middlebrook Elementary School:

1st grade: 

• Emperor Penguins by Ryan and Dylan 
• African Penguins by Lily and Magdalena 

3rd grade:

•  Picnic On The Beach By Lauren And Amanda

Jennifer Silverman will be visiting Miss Porter's School in Farmington to conduct a Digital Learning Day activity with freshman enrolled in Algebra 1. Students will first translate set situations into algebraic sentences. Then, using an iPad loaded with a graphing calculator app, they will then compare the costs of developing a product from two different companies. Students will work with a number of variables to answer the algebraic problems using a new  technology.

Center for 21st Century Skills is proud to have been a part of the first-annual Digital Learning Day. Thanks to all of the schools, teachers, and students who participated!

The first 9th-grade Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences meeting of the year was full of fresh faces and new technology!

Each student took part in the Digital Story Telling Challenge, using iPod touches to create a short story based on an essential question from the E3 science curriculum. Students used the Blurb Mobile app (free version available in the iTunes store!). One winner was selected from each breakout room. All of the Blurbs are now available for viewing on the CT EXPO Facebook page.

Vote for your Blurb Mobile Digital Story! Visit Facebook.com/CTEXPO and "Like" the Blurb you think should win.

While you're there, "Like" the CT EXPO page to receive updates and info on the upcoming May 2012 CT Innovation Expo. More info will also be available soon on the CT Innovation Expo website and on Twitter @ctexpo.

A big thanks to Albert Schneider and IBM for hosting our students and staff!

Happy New Year!

This past semester was full of new and unique experiences for participants in Center for 21st Century Skills programs!

Digital Media Movie Making (DM3)
The October 24th DM3 meeting at IBM hosted students and teachers from Hillhouse, Hill Regional Career, Metropolitan Business Academy, Woodland Regional, Bethel, New Canaan, Pomperaug, Thomaston, and Terryville high schools. Students worked in groups in order to brainstorm a film using Make-a-Movie cards. Students took the opportunity to work with peers from different schools around Connecticut. During the lunch break, each filmmaker had the chance to enter the "15-second Film Challenge". Using MacBooks loaded with PhotoBooth, participants were challenged to create a film only 15 seconds in length. C21 staff chose three finalists whose entries were shown to all DM3 participants. Prizes were awarded to the winning film. Kudos to all who stepped up to the challenge!

DM3 program participants met again on December 19 at Quinnipiac University. Students from Hillhouse, Hill Regional Career, Metropolitan Business Academy, Woodland Regional, Bethel, Pomperaug, Thomaston, Terryville, Simsbury, and Kennedy high schools participated in breakout sessions including Creative Storytelling, Multimedia, Marketing, Producing, Lighting and Camera, Editing, and Journalism. Many workshops were facilitated by Quinnipiac professors, who gave students new and unique perspectives on the film industry. Students enjoyed a pizza lunch provided by the university. Lost and Found Productions from Bethel High School received the award for Outstanding Animated Logo based on their short 3D animation, which was created using the free, open-source software Blender.

Bio21
Bio21 students from Pomperaug, East Haven, Metropolitan Business Academy, and Bethel high schools met on December 13 at University of New Haven. They conducted an ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay) Lab designed to simulate the diagnosis of Lyme Disease. The Lyme ELISA assay is designed to detect the presence of antibodies specific for the Lyme disease bacterium. Students also pitched their project plans and enjoyed a fascinating presentation on biomimicry by Vincent Pieribone, Ph.D., Associate Fellow at the John B. Pierce Laboratory and Associate Professor of Cellular & Molecular Physiology and Neurobiology at Yale.

E-Commerce Entrepreneurship (ECE)
On December 20, 2011 students from East Haven, Metropolitan Business Academy, Terryville, Pomperaug, Stonington, Windsor Locks, and Farmington high schools gathered at Quinnipiac University for the first ECE meeting. The morning kicked off with a presentation from entrepreneur Thomas Capone. Capone encouraged students to continually move forward and find a career in a field they enjoy. His motivational keynote started the day on a perfect note.

Students then participated in breakout sessions such as how to put together a business plan, effective presentations, and break-even analysis led by Quinnipiac professors from the School of Business. Like the DM3 students, ECE students were also given a tour of the beautiful Quinnipiac campus by current undergraduates then treated to a pizza lunch. We wrapped up the day with a staff favorite, the Marshmallow Challenge. Each group came up with some innovative and sturdy structures. Congratulations to our first and second place groups from Pomperaug and Terryville high schools!

One semester down, one to go! The CT Innovation Expo is right around the corner—May 19, 2012, at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. Stay tuned to see some more amazing student work!